CLE Seminar Speaker

Bill Center

Bill Center is President of the Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT), a nonprofit, non-partisan association of trade interests in Washington State whose purpose is to inform, advocate and educate the public, elected leadership, educators and the media about the role and importance of trade.

Bill retired from the U.S. Navy as Rear Admiral in 1999 after 35 years distinguished service. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Washington, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs.

During his naval career he commanded three ships and served in a wide variety of assignments at sea and ashore, including three years as Chief Engineer on the aircraft carrier USS MIDWAY. He and his family resided in Japan during three different assignments totaling eight years.

Bill is a specialist in policy analysis, strategic planning and organization development. He served as a senior advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on arms control, non-proliferation, environmental matters, and international agreements.

He was General Colin Powell's deputy director for international negotiations and served in the same role for General John Shalikashvili. He earned numerous military awards including the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Defense Superior Service Medal. He also serves as military analyst for KIRO-TV is a sought-after public speaker and lectures on U.S. foreign Policy at the Evans School.

In his final Navy tour, from May 1996 to May 1999, he commanded the Navy's third largest fleet concentration area, Navy Region Northwest. In that capacity he was responsible for Naval activities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, encompassing 25,000 naval personnel, 18,000 civilian employees and annual outlays of more than $2.8 billion.

Since retiring from the Navy Bill has devoted himself to nonprofit leadership and volunteer work. He is an active leader in the Initiative for Global Development, www.igdleaders.org.

He directed CRISTA Ministries' Urban Academies and has served on the local boards of the Red Cross, Civic Light Opera, SEAFAIR, Rotary Club of Seattle, the USO, Northwest Center for the Retarded and Green Lake United Methodist Church. He and Karla, his wife of 36 years, reside in Edmonds.

To learn more about Bill Center and the WCIT, visit:
www.wcit.org